Hoosiers Host Xavier in Non-Conference Clash this Weekend

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Indiana (24-17-2, 10-7-1 Big Ten) vs. Xavier (25-18, 7-3 BIG EAST)
May 5-7 | Bloomington, Ind. | Bart Kaufman Field
Series Schedule Coverage Projected Starters
Indiana vs. Xavier
Friday - 6:05 p.m. ET Watch | Listen | Live Stats IU - RHP Jonathan Stiever (2-2, 4.60)
XU - LHP Zac Lowther (3-2, 3.21)
Indiana vs. Xavier
Saturday - 2:05 p.m. Watch | Listen | Live Stats IU - RHP Brian Hobbie (2-4, 6.38)
XU - RHP Garrett Schilling (3-3, 3.11)
Indiana vs. Xavier
Sunday - 12 p.m. ET Watch | Listen | Live Stats IU - RHP Pauly Milto (3-3, 4.20)
XU - LHP Greg Jacknewitz (3-2, 3.14)

• Indiana continues a stretch of 10 of its next 11 games being at home with a weekend non-conference slate of action against 2016 NCAA Regional finalist Xavier.

• Since the start of the 2008 season, Indiana leads the Big Ten in wins (334) and conference wins (144). The Hoosiers have made four NCAA Regionals over that span, the most out of any current Big Ten team.

• Ranking first in the Big Ten with 51 long balls, Indiana has 11 different players that have recorded at least one home run this year.

• IU's 51 home runs this season through 43 games are the most since having 65 through 43 games in 2010. The Hoosiers have eclipsed last year's home run total of 36.

• The Hoosiers are the only team in the conference to have three players rank in the top six in home runs (Dedelow - 11, T-3rd, Lloyd - 9, T-6th, Miller - 9, T-6th).

• Through the first 43 games, Indiana has posted a .980 fielding percentage, ranking fourth in the Big Ten and 18th nationally. If the season were to end at 43 games, the .980 mark would set a new Indiana program record.

• IU's pitching staff has thrown four shutouts, which ranks tied for first in the Big Ten and tied for 31st nationally. Additionally, the Hoosiers are allowing an average of 2.68 walks per nine innings this year, which stands first in the conference and 11th nationally. Indiana's strikeout to walk ratio of 2.39 is fourth in the Big Ten and 63rd nationally as well.

• Sophomore Matt Lloyd is third in the Big Ten in slugging percentage (.608), tied for sixth in home runs (9) and 10th in on base percentage (.422).

• Senior Craig Dedelow is tied for third in the Big Ten in home runs (11), is eighth in total bases (87), tied for 10th in RBI (35) and is 14th in slugging percentage (.497).

• Since moving to the No. 1/2 spot in the batting order at Michigan, senior Tony Butler is hitting a team-best .393 with two home runs, seven RBI and seven runs scored. He has reached base safely in 14-straight games.

• Sophomore Luke Miller is tied for fifth in the Big Ten in runs (36), tied for sixth in home runs (9), ninth in slugging percentage (.518) and total bases (85), and tied for 13th in RBI (32).

• Sophomore Jonathan Stiever has not allowed a run in his last 10 innings of work.

Video within:
iuhoosiers.com/news/2017/5/4/baseball-hoosiers-host-xavier-in-non-conference-clash-this-weekend.aspx

Go Hoosiers!

 

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Hoosiers to face Xavier at home
by Taylor Lehman

IU comes off three consecutive series victories against favored opponents and will now be hosts to Xavier at Bart Kaufman Field this weekend for a three-game non-confe rence series.

Riding a 25-18 season record and a 7-3 conference record to second place in its conference standings, Xavier has played its way to a 5-2 record against Big Ten opponents this season, beating Penn State twice and Ohio State three times.

Led by junior infielder Rylan Bannon with a .322 season batting average and a team-high 12 home runs, the Musketeers have four batters hitting above .280 and have averaged 7.1 runs per game in their last seven games.

Xavier’s last series against Creighton featured just one game because the last two were cancelled due to weather conditions. In its last series against Butler, the Musketeers outscored the Bulldogs 33-18, including a 17-run game that featured a 6-for-6 showing at the plate from Bannon and a 4-RBI game from senior outfielder Joe Gellenbeck and junior infielder Mitch Gallagher.

On the mound, all three of the Musketeers’ regular weekend starters — junior Zac Lowther, junior Garrett Schilling and senior Greg Jacknewitz — have ERAs below 4.00, and none of the pitchers allowed more than three earned runs in the Butler series. Jacknewitz threw seven innings in the season finale and allowed three hits and two runs.

The most dangerous arm out of the Musketeer bullpen is sophomore Matt Kent, who has pitched 36.2 innings, allowed six earned runs and boasts a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 28-to-8.

IU senior outfielder Craig Dedelow earned IU’s last win against Maryland with a seventh-inning grand slam, his 11th home run of the season. Of the nine batters in the Hoosiers starting lineup, Dedelow has the worst batting average, with .246, but the senior is second on the team with a .497 slugging percentage.

Sophomore designated hitter Matt Lloyd leads IU with a .320 batting average, and freshman Matt Gorski is the only other Hoosier hitting above. 300. Five other IU batters have worked their batting averages above .260.

Unlike Xavier, no regular IU starter has an ERA below 4.00. Sophomore ace Jonathan Stiever had his last start against Maryland cut short by rain after three innings of one-hit baseball. Before the Maryland start, Stiever posted his best start of the season at Michigan, pitching seven shutout innings against the top-25 Wolverines.

IU begins the series against Xavier at 6:05 p.m. Friday and finishes with two afternoon games Saturday and Sunday.

http://www.idsnews.com/article/2017/05/hoosiers-face-xavier

Go Hoosiers!

 

[ptrich]

Hopefully, they can get this series in between rain storms this weekend.

 

[RBB89]

Hopefully, they can get this series in between rain storms this weekend.

The rain has been absolutely ridiculous.